This invention relates to materials handling and, more particularly, to mounting materials handling tools (e.g., buckets, blades, rippers, augers and the like) on, for example, dippersticks of backhoes.
The changing of materials handling tools mounted on a backhoe dipperstick traditionally has been a laborious and timeconsuming job. Some have suggested simplifying this task by connecting different tools to, rather than replacing, the bucket; or by providing connecting mechanisms on the tool and dipperstick which reduce the time and effort required for tool change-over. Such schemes have suffered from various drawbacks, principally the need for precise vertical alignment of the tool and dipperstick, the inability of the backhoe operator to change tools himself, the danger presented by improperly or incompletely connected tools, and the requirement that a different set of tools be provided for each size or type of backhoe. The system shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,738, issued Jan. 27, 1976, permits any of a wide range of materials handling tools to be connected to any type of backhoe, permits a single operator to change tools, often without leaving his seat; eliminates the danger of falling tools, and permits the same tools to be used with either a fixed or a swinging connector.